Between Mizzou Madness’s 10-minute scrimmage and Tuesday’s exhibition against Lincoln, senior guard Sydney Crafton shot 16 for 18, a whopping 89 percent shooting clip. The rest of the team combined for 38 percent. Those numbers undoubtedly welcome attention.
After recording 28 points against Lincoln, is Crafton ready to be the star for the Missouri women’s basketball team?
“I wouldn’t say the star, but I’m ready to lead,” Crafton said.
Although she is ready to lead, one won’t see Crafton getting in her teammates’ faces or giving pump-up speeches in the locker room.
“Syd is more quiet, and she tries to lead by example, I would say,” sophomore guard Kyley Simmons said. “When we need a basket, she’s going to do everything she can to get to the hole.”
One secret behind Crafton putting up those numbers, which have vaulted her into a leadership role, has been her shooting. Since the end of her junior year, Crafton focused on not only her physical shooting ability, but also her shot selection as well.
Crafton noticed she was passing up shots and Missouri coach Robin Pingeton made sure she knew.
“We needed to score more at times in games, and I just wouldn’t shoot it,” Crafton said. “Looking at tape, coach would be like, ‘Why didn’t you shoot it?’ and I’m just like, ‘I don’t know.’ There’s no reason why I shouldn’t have shot it.”
Perspective is all it took for Crafton to start taking aim more.
“I just told myself, ‘You just need to shoot the ball. What’s the worst that could happen? If you don’t make it, you don’t make it, but you’re not going to make it not shooting it,’” Crafton said. “We need people to shoot, we need people to score.”
Extra practice and trust from her teammates and coaches makes Crafton more comfortable letting it fly on a more consistent basis.
“I would say just getting in here and shooting and then doing it in practice,” Crafton said. “And your teammates having faith in you and Coach having faith in you and after a while, you just start making them.”
The rest of the team was 3-for-18 with around three minutes to go in the first half on Tuesday. Pingeton said she is fine with Crafton picking up her game when others struggle.
“You expect a toughness, the ability to put the team on your back a little bit,” Pingeton said.
Pingeton said that the rest of Missouri’s young team feeds off of the senior’s commitment to improving her game.
“I think the growth; even the returning players from a year ago have seen in her, I think it’s been really positive,” Pingeton said.
Although Crafton’s commitment to her game is noble, her experience is another indispensable asset for a team with nine underclassmen.
“She’s the only four-year player in this program,” Pingeton said. “I think that alone, speaks for itself. I think a lot of times you look to your seniors because they are your seniors, and they’ve been here for four years.”
Unsurprisingly, attention falls behind success for Crafton.
“I like to win,” Crafton said. “If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. But I’ve never been one for all of that stuff. I just like to play, that’s why we’re all here.”